(a) In a criminal prosecution, expert testimony is admissible to show, in regard to a specific criminal street gang or criminal street gangs whose conduct is relevant to the case,
(1) common characteristics of persons who are members of the criminal street gang or criminal street gangs;
(2) rivalries between specific criminal street gangs;
(3) common practices and operations of the criminal street gang or criminal street gangs and the members of those gangs;
(4) social customs and behavior of members of the criminal street gang or the criminal street gangs;
(5) terminology used by members of the criminal street gang or the criminal street gangs;
(6) codes of conduct of the particular criminal street gang or criminal street gangs; and
(7) the types of crimes that are likely to be committed by the particular criminal street gang.
(b) In this section, "criminal street gang" has the meaning given in AS 11.81.900(b).
(Top)(a) This section does not apply to an individual who is convicted of a felony offense under IC 35-45-9-3.
(b) The state may seek, on a page separate from the rest of a charging instrument, to have a person who allegedly committed a felony offense sentenced to an additional fixed term of imprisonment if the state can show beyond a reasonable doubt that the person knowingly or intentionally:
(1) was a member of a criminal gang while committing the offense; and
(2) committed the felony offense at the direction of or in affiliation with a criminal gang.
(c) If the person is convicted of the felony offense in a jury trial, the jury shall reconvene to hear evidence in the enhancement hearing. If the trial was to the court, or the judgment was entered on a guilty plea, the court alone shall hear evidence in the enhancement hearing.
(d) If the jury (if the hearing is by jury) or the court (if the hearing is to the court alone) finds that the state has proved beyond a reasonable doubt that the person knowingly or intentionally was a member of a criminal gang while committing the felony offense and committed the felony offense at the direction of or in affiliation with a criminal gang as described in subsection (b), the court shall:
(1) sentence the person to an additional fixed term of imprisonment equal to the sentence imposed for the underlying felony, if the person is sentenced for only one (1) felony; or
(2) sentence the person to an additional fixed term of imprisonment equal to the longest sentence imposed for the underlying felonies, if the person is being sentenced for more than one (1) felony.
(e) A sentence imposed under this section shall run consecutively to the underlying sentence.
(f) A term of imprisonment imposed under this section may not be suspended.
(g) For purposes of subsection (c), evidence that a person was a member of a criminal gang or committed a felony at the direction of or in affiliation with a criminal gang may include expert testimony pursuant to the Indiana Rules of Evidence that may be admitted to prove that particular conduct, status, and customs are indicative of criminal gang activity. The expert testimony may include the following:
(1) Characteristics of persons who are members of criminal gangs.
(2) Descriptions of rivalries between criminal gangs.
(3) Common practices and operations of criminal gangs.
(4) Behavior of criminal gangs.
(5) Terminology used by members of criminal gangs.
(6) Codes of conduct, including criminal conduct, of particular criminal gangs.
(7) Types of crimes that are likely to be committed by a particular criminal gang.
5. In any proceeding to determine whether an additional penalty may be imposed pursuant to this section, expert testimony is admissible to show particular conduct, status and customs indicative of criminal gangs, including, but not limited to:
(a) Characteristics of persons who are members of criminal gangs;
(b) Specific rivalries between criminal gangs;
(c) Common practices and operations of criminal gangs and the members of those gangs;
(d) Social customs and behavior of members of criminal gangs;
(e) Terminology used by members of criminal gangs;
(f) Codes of conduct, including criminal conduct, of particular criminal gangs; and
(g) The types of crimes that are likely to be committed by a particular criminal gang or by criminal gangs in general.